Jota

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small unit of information in a sequence, often representing a minimal or insignificant amount
2. A diminutive mark or notation in various contexts, signifying minor details
3. A slight or minor point, typically denoting something of little consequence or weight

Etymology: The Greek letter iota, the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet, gave English a word for the smallest possible amount of something. The Spanish "jota" descends from the same Greek name, passing into Latin as "iota" before reaching Spain, where it became the name of a letter and, through that, a byword for a tiny quantity. English borrowed the Spanish form, so the word arrived in English from Spanish rather than directly from Greek or Latin. The Greek source is the letter "iota" (ἰῶτα), which Matthew's Gospel famously uses in the phrase "one jot or one tittle," rendering the sense of the smallest possible stroke. That biblical image of the tiniest mark explains why the letter's name came to stand for the tiniest quantity of anything.